The Urban Renewal Authority is considering allowing residents in old districts to initiate redevelopment plans to help minimise tensions.
Sources said a 'demand-driven, bottom-up' development model could reduce conflicts between the authority and those affected by redevelopment projects.
'At present, our strategy is very much top-down, as we tell residents we redevelop their homes for their own good,' an authority source said. 'And this sometimes will create conflicts and arguments. Our goal is to improve the quality and standard of living of people in the old districts. So why don't we work on areas people really want us to redevelop?'
The authority has found itself in hot water over plans to redevelop areas such as Lee Tung Street (Wedding Card Street) in Wan Chai, Fa Yuen Street (Sneaker Street) in Mong Kok, and Peel and Graham streets in Central. Residents or shop owners have staged repeated protests. Some have taken their cases to the Town Planning Board and the Ombudsman in a bid to overturn the projects.
The source said all the authority's existing projects had to be continued because they were among the 25 schemes announced long ago by the now-defunct land development corporation. 'We could face lawsuits if we did not carry out these plans, as residents affected have reasonable expectations of redevelopment,' the source said.
Under the new model, residents could team up and draft a plan for consideration. 'We want to work together with the residents.'
